Partnership – Cemex Ventures

Startup Funding: The Basics

Francisco Javier Osete — Tue, 06 May 2025 08:15:43 +0000

Although they’re called ‘unicorns’ for their supposed rarity, there are more than you’d probably imagine—as of January 2025, there are over 1,200 unicorns globally (privately held companies valued at more than US$1 billion). Once just another unicorn, now household names—think Airbnb, Facebook, or Google.

Even the giants we know today began as early-stage startups. In this article, you’ll find everything you need to know about startup funding.

Remember: Every major company started with a great idea and the right funding. Your breakthrough could be next!

Types of Startup Funding

Let’s start with the basics: startup funding refers to the process of raising capital for new established businesses. It’s a key stage in a startup’s life cycle, providing the necessary resources to launch, scale, and grow the business, essential for covering initial costs, scaling operations, and achieving milestones that attract further investments.

Do you need funding for your startup? Early-stage businesses typically raise funding from a variety of sources. Here are the 6 most common types:

Angel Investors

Angel investors are usually wealthy individuals who risk their own money to invest in startups, mostly in exchange for an ownership stake or convertible debt. Angel capital typically funds activities such as prototype development, market research, and initial hiring. Angel investors play a critical role in validating the startup, providing capital to prove the concept and signaling confidence to other investors.

Angels usually have prior industry or entrepreneurial experience, offering mentorship and guidance to founders they support. Their involvement helps startups navigate early challenges and refine their strategy. Additional benefits of angel financing include:

Invest earlier than other investors

Faster decision-making

Provide startup expertise

Leverage networks to connect founders with investors, talent, and customers

Caution: Angel investors expect involvement. Choose those aligned with your startup’s vision and growth strategy.

Venture Capital

Venture capital, also known as VC, is a financial tool that helps businesses grow, offering institutional investors opportunities in emerging companies. Startups benefit by securing funding, refining business models, and exploring new markets through this short-term capital injection. VC investors typically have a strong economic focus, negotiating terms for equity in the company.

VC firms raise funds to invest in both early-stage and mature startups. They often prioritize performance metrics and financial potential when assessing investments.

You might also like: How venture capital funding works

Corporate Venture Capital

CVC is the practice of established companies investing in external startups to drive innovation and strategic growth. Often, startups approach these corporations to test technologies, explore joint developments, gain new customers, and secure funding.

One significant advantage of corporate venture capital is helping startups break into new markets, utilizing the corporation’s network. Additionally, startups receive support in legal advice, communications, marketing, or access to facilities tailored to specific collaboration needs.

Pro tip: Align your startup’s objectives with the strategic goals of your corporate partner to maximize mutual benefit.

Bootstrapping

Bootstrapping is a self-financing approach where entrepreneurs use personal savings, initial sales revenue, or loans without external investors. Founders retain complete control over business decisions, avoiding equity dilution.

However, bootstrapping requires careful planning, resourcefulness, and patience, potentially limiting rapid growth opportunities.

Accelerators

In short, accelerators help entrepreneurs turn their knowledge into action. These are cohort-based programs that offer mentorship, services, education, networking, and recognition to early-stage startups looking to scale their product or service quickly. They are considered a form of early-stage financing because they often provide seed funding for startups.

Crowfunding

Crowdfunding platforms let startups raise small amounts of money from many individuals, usually via online campaigns.

Backers might receive rewards, equity, or debt. These platforms allow entrepreneurs to showcase ideas to wider audiences, validate market interest, and gain early customer feedback.

Quick tip: Crowdfunding is more than funding—it can validate your product and build your community from day one.

Seed Funding for Startups: Your First Step

First things first: seed funding is the initial capital an early-stage startup raises to advance toward the next growth stage. Known also as seed capital or seed money, it’s typically the first formal institutional fundraising round. Seed investors are willing to take big risks on early-stage companies for potentially high returns.

Seed funding mainly serves to validate business ideas and move towards a functioning business. Startups are considered ready for seed funding when they can demo their product, even if further development is needed to reach a minimum viable product (MVP) or proof of concept.

How to pitch the seed round?

Pitch meetings allow startups to present their business model and vision to potential investors. Crafting a compelling investor pitch is crucial during fundraising—investors see countless pitches, and few stand out. A successful pitch is clear, concise, memorable, tells a compelling story, addresses key concerns, and excites investors.

When a pitch leads to a term sheet, leverage insights from fundraising benchmarks and financial models to negotiate favorable terms. Involve legal counsel to ensure fairness and market alignment.

Advice: Always review term sheets carefully. Good negotiations now can significantly impact your startup’s future.

Construction Industry Funding: Opportunities for Startups

According to Top 50 2025 Contech Report, the data from 2024 shows that during this last year, we witnessed the first signs of stabilization in Contech investment compared to 2023, a year in which the number of deals reached 325, marking an approximate increase of 38% compared to the 236 deals reported in 2023. The total amount invested also rose, though only by 2% compared to the previous year. The comparative data indicates that investors were significantly more active than in 2023, with a notable increase in the number of deals in early-stage startups. This highlights the untapped potential for growth in construction technology.

Here are some of the most renowned grants you can tap into to fund your startup if your solution applies to the construction industry:

U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA): Part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the EDA offers ongoing grant opportunities to support projects that drive regional and national economic growth. Funding is available for a wide range of initiatives, including construction, planning, technical assistance, research, and education.

EU Innovation Fund: One of the world’s largest funding programs for cleantech innovation. It recently awarded €173 million to 18 pioneering projects that contribute to decarbonization and support the green transition.

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE): Through its Infrastructure Program, the DOE provides funding for transformative infrastructure and clean energy projects. Regular funding announcements cover areas like grid modernization, clean hydrogen, energy storage, and advanced manufacturing.

Cemex Ventures, Your Startup Partner

Investing in startups can help companies tap external innovation and accelerate internal innovation efforts.

At Cemex Ventures, the corporate venture capital and open innovation arm of Cemex, we don’t just invest, we collaborate, scale, and ignite bold ideas. We back the startups reshaping construction, combining financial support with strategic muscle to turn vision into real-world impact.

Our mission? To fuel the transformation of the construction industry, making it more sustainable, efficient, agile, and future-ready. If you’re building game-changing solutions, we’re here to build with you. If you have a startup with technology that fits these characteristics and has the potential to make a game-changing impact on the construction industry, apply now for Construction Startup Competition 2025.

Apply Now!

Deep Dive: OPTIMITIVE x Cemex Ventures

Francisco Javier Osete — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 07:36:11 +0000

In 2024, artificial intelligence dominated Contech (construction technology) investments, claiming 37% of total funding and larger-than-average deal sizes. Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t just generating buzz, it’s the cornerstone of evolution, reshaping the Contech investment landscape and propelling a pivotal shift in the digitalization of the construction industry.

OPTIMITIVE has ridden the AI wave, enhancing efficiency and sustainability in processes across heavy-intensive industries—and construction is no exception. The Spanish company is now part of our investment portfolio, redefining real-time construction process optimization with analytics & visionary AI technology.

Keep scrolling to learn more about this hot-off-the-press partnership!

Press Release

Cemex Ventures invests in company pushing boundaries of real-time industrial process optimization with AI technology

Madrid, Spain. April 22, 2025. Cemex Ventures, Cemex’s corporate venture capital (CVC) and open innovation unit, announced today that it has executed an investment agreement with OPTIMITIVE, a Spanish company that provides high-tech solutions through advanced analytics & artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize efficiency and sustainability in processes within energy-intensive industries.

Founded in 2008, OPTIMITIVE has developed proprietary artificial intelligence software to enhance efficiency across heavy industries. It offers advanced solutions for process improvement, maintenance, and services, with a strong focus on the cement industry during the last years. The Spain-based company has developed one of the most far-reaching solutions on the market, featuring real-time and closed-loop process optimization—which means it can autonomously learn and adjust optimal set points in autopilot mode. Among its additional competitive advantages is its no-code visual design—which enables large-scale adoption without requiring specific AI expertise—and continuous operation—24 hours a day, 365 days a year. OPTIMITIVE is currently commercializing two main products: Optibat Studio – a tool for historical data analytics, modeling, and optimization used by process engineers – and Optibat RTO – a tool for real-time operation used by process operators.

“OPTIMITIVE has a robust customer base across a large number of sectors, making it an ideal partner that reinforces Cemex’s commitment to transforming the industry through collaboration with breakthrough technologies,” said Alfredo Carrato, Investment and Open Innovation at Cemex Ventures. “We are excited about this partnership with OPTIMITIVE, given the impressive results they have already achieved in Europe and the United States in projects to date with Cemex.”

“Since our first engagement with Cemex some years ago, we have always been confident that our relationship would be long-lasting. “Now, thanks to their strong technological vision and commitment to reducing their carbon footprint, they have chosen to continue supporting OPTIMITIVE through this investment”, commented Fernando de la Prida, CEO at OPTIMITIVE. “This decision reflects the high level of satisfaction among our clients and the competitive advantages that OPTIBAT brings to their operations.”

Cemex seeks to scale OPTIMITIVE’s solution across its operations as part of its Digital Innovation in Motion ecosystem, with the goal of agile large-scale deployments in the near future. By integrating this groundbreaking solution, the construction giant aims to significantly reduce energy consumption at its production facilities while simultaneously increasing (production) efficiency by up to double digit percentage points. Energy efficiency plays a crucial role in reducing Cemex’s operational carbon footprint, in line with the Future in Action program to become a net-zero CO₂ company. This collaboration is a clear example of how cutting-edge technologies are transforming the building materials sector of the future.

About OPTIMITIVE

OPTIMITIVE delivers advanced technology solutions for operational optimization through Advanced Analytics and Artificial Intelligence. Their systems work in real-time, analyzing process data and recommending the most appropriate adjustments in each case to minimize energy consumption while improving production, quality, safety, and equipment health. OPTIMITIVE is rooted in Álava, Spain, and has expanded globally. They operate in the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia, with over 10 years of experience in process industries. For more information, please visit: https://optimitive.com/

About Cemex Ventures

Launched in 2017, Cemex Ventures focuses on helping overcome the main challenges and capitalizing on the opportunity areas in the construction ecosystem through solutions that consider sustainability. Cemex Ventures has developed an open collaborative platform to lead the revolution of the construction industry, engaging startups, entrepreneurs, universities, and other stakeholders to tackle the challenges in the construction environment and shape the industry’s future. For more information on Cemex Ventures, please visit: www.cemexventures.com

About Cemex

Cemex is a global construction materials company that is building a better future through sustainable products and solutions. Cemex is committed to achieving carbon neutrality through relentless innovation and industry-leading research and development. Cemex is at the forefront of the circular economy in the construction value chain and is pioneering ways to increase the use of waste and residues as alternative raw materials and fuels in its operations with the help of new technologies. Cemex offers cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates, and urbanization solutions in growing markets around the world, powered by a multinational workforce focused on providing a superior customer experience enabled by digital technologies. For more information, please visit: www.cemex.com

What does OPTIMITIVE do?

OPTIMITIVE has developed proprietary artificial intelligence software efficiency in heavy industries, with a strong focus on the cement industry. The Spanish company offers one of the most comprehensive solutions on the market, featuring real-time, closed-loop process optimization –which means it can autonomously learn and adjust optimal set points in autopilot mode. One of its major competitive advantages is its no-code visual design, enabling large-scale adoption without requiring AI expertise, along with continuous, 24/7 year-round operation.

These are OPTIMITIVE’s main products:

Optibat Studio: A tool that enables flexible and easy-to-setup autonomous AI optimization in a closed-loop system, used by process engineers for historical data analytics, modeling, and optimization, and designed for industrial companies aiming to enhance efficiency and sustainability.

Optibat RTO: A tool that uses AI to improve industrial processes and recommend optimum set-points in real-time, designed for real-time operation and used by process operators.

Why has Cemex invested in OPTIMITIVE?

As the open innovation arm of Cemex, we are committed to continuously seeking high-potential startups focused on enhancing sustainability and driving digital transformation in the building industry. With a strong emphasis on decarbonizing the built environment and promoting energy efficiency principles, Cemex Ventures is eager to collaborate with startups aligned with these objectives. OPTIMITIVE stands out as an ideal partner, offering cutting-edge technology and one of the most far-reaching solutions on the market, which has already delivered impressive results in projects across Europe and the United States with Cemex.

Put simply: By integrating OPTIMITIVE’s solution, Cemex aims to significantly reduce energy consumption while simultaneously increasing production efficiency.

But let’s dive a little bit deeper…

How will OPTIMITIVE and Cemex help each other achieve their objectives?

In this partnership, Cemex aims to take OPTIMTIVE’s technology to the next level, scaling its solutions across its operations and helping fulfill its mission of transforming industrial processes globally, making them more efficient and sustainable using AI, thus contributing to a better world to live in.

Cemex helps OPTIMITIVE raise additional capital to fuel its growth while leveraging Cemex Ventures’ expertise in growth strategies and Cemex’s knowledge of construction and building materials. Through this partnership, Cemex aims to achieve agile, large-scale deployments of OPTIMITIVE’s solution in the near future.

OPTIMITIVE helps Cemex through its robust presence across a wide range of sectors, reinforcing Cemex’s commitment to transforming the industry through collaboration with breakthrough technologies.

This partnership is closely aligned with one of Cemex’s top priorities: Digital Innovation in Motion. By integrating its solution, the construction giant will reduce its energy consumption while simultaneously increasing production efficiency by up to double-digit percentage points.

Moreover, this agreement is closely tied to Cemex’s strategic priority of Future in Action sustainability program, as energy efficiency plays a fundamental role in reducing Cemex’s operational carbon footprint on its path to becoming a net-zero CO₂ company.

Who is OPTIMITIVE?

Founded in 2008, the Spain-based startup made its first steps with Cemex Ventures—although it had already worked with Cemex—appearing in the Top 50 Contech Startups & Cleantech Construction Map in 2024 under the Decarbonization Alternatives vertical. Now, in 2025, we’re betting on OPTIMITIVE through this investment.

The Basque startup—present in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe—specializes in optimizing efficient services for businesses and serves clients in the cement, oil, and chemical industries, among other sectors. OPTIMITIVE has a…

Mission: They are committed to transforming heavy industry processes and contributing to a more sustainable and efficient world.

Vision: They envision a future where any complex system is complemented by an “Optimization Brain” that ensures its effective operation under all circumstances.

What’s next?

Like all our portfolio companies, we’ll keep you updated with all the news about OPTIMITIVE through our digital channels: blog, social media, and our Contech Tacos biweekly newsletter (we also send memes ).

Deep Dive: Terra CO2 x Cemex Ventures

Francisco Javier Osete — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 07:43:51 +0000

This is a wake-up call: Without any abatement measures from the building materials sector, global demand for concrete – the most widely used material in the world – is projected to generate 3.8 gigatons of CO2 emissions annually by 2050. Cement production—one of concrete’s key components—accounts for 8% of global CO₂ emissions yearly.

The future competitiveness of the global cement industry will hinge on who can reduce their carbon footprint the most. A groundbreaking innovator is reshaping cement production in construction with sustainability leading the charge and has now made its way into our investment portfolio to stay: Say hi to Terra CO2.

What does Terra CO2 do?

Simply put: Terra CO2 is a Colorado-based startup that has developed a scalable, low-carbon alternative for replacing cement in concrete.

The American startup produces supplementary cementitious materials and carbon-neutral cement to meet the vast demand, making decarbonized concrete a practical and accessible solution for the construction industry. Terra CO2 offers two standout products:

OPUS SCM: An engineered Supplementary Cementitious Material (SCM) that can be locally produced to address the fly ash shortage. It is derived from plentiful, cost-effective silicate rock feedstock and can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 70% when partly replacing clinker or other conventional cementitious materials.

Next Gen OPUS ZERO: This visionary product is a full substitute for clinker, resulting in true zero CO2 emissions. It is an advanced cement based on proven inorganic polymer chemistry—a game-changer for the ready-mix industry.

Why is Cemex committing investment to Terra CO2?

As the open innovation arm of Cemex, we are dedicated to actively identifying high-potential startups focused on advancing green construction and driving sustainability within the sector. With a strong emphasis on decarbonizing the built environment, promoting circular economy principles, and integrating renewable energy solutions, Cemex Ventures is eager to collaborate with startups that align with these objectives. Terra CO2 stands out as an ideal partner, thanks to its sustainable materials solution alternative to traditional SCMs and cement, which plays a critical role in accelerating Cemex’s decarbonization initiatives.

In simple terms, Cemex is partnering with Terra CO2 to reduce harmful emissions from its production processes, driving the construction industry’s progress toward CO2 neutrality.

So, let’s dive a little bit deeper…

How will Terra CO2 and Cemex help each other achieve their objectives?

In this partnership, Cemex aims to integrate Terra CO2’s solutions across its operations in the Americas and Europe, helping it fulfill its mission of becoming the global leader in carbon reduction within the construction materials industry. This agreement seeks to help Terra CO2 with the following benefits:

Tactical investment: The startup gains smart capital to support its continued development.

Partner for one of the world’s top construction firms: Cemex Ventures aims to accelerate the growth of the American startup by linking it with Cemex’s vast network and resources, creating synergies, and promoting startup-corporate collaboration.

Expertise & specialized knowledge: Leveraging Cemex Ventures’ expertise in progress strategies and the construction industry expertise of Cemex.

That said, this collaboration is a two-way street: Terra CO2’s technology could help position Cemex as a leader in cutting emissions within the construction industry. This partnership also strengthens Cemex’s ambitious climate action goals outlined in its sustainability program, Future in Action, which aims to reduce Cemex’s greenhouse gas emissions generated by its production processes through its Innovation & Partnerships pillar.

Who is Terra CO2?

Founded in 2016, Terra CO2 Technologies is a disruptive startup dedicated to producing sustainable alternatives for cement replacement. Based in Golden, Colorado, United States, Terra CO2 is at the forefront of the sustainable materials industry.

Interesting facts: In 2024, Terra CO2 was granted by the United States Department of Energy (DoE) for the deployment of its clean technology in Utah, United States. That same year, it was named the winner of the “Decarbonization Solution of the Year” award at the inaugural Cleantech Breakthrough Awards program.

Terra CO2’s team is a group of experts dedicated to deeply decarbonizing the concrete industry, consisting of diverse professional profiles, including scientists, engineers, geologists, plant operators, and more.

What is their mission? Their mission is to revolutionize cement production and decarbonize concrete, aiming for zero clinker and, ultimately, zero CO2 emissions.

What’s next?

As with all our portfolio companies, we’ll keep you informed with all the latest news about Terra CO2 through our digital channels: blog, social media: LinkedIn & X, and our biweekly Contech Tacos newsletter.

But if you’re an entrepreneur with an innovative solution that’s addressing critical pain points in green construction (water efficiency, waste management, CCUS, sustainable materials, alternative fuels, and more!), we invite you to contact us!

Press Release

Madrid, Spain. March 25, 2025. Cemex announced today its most recent investment in climate-friendly & zero carbon cement company, Terra CO2, carried out through its corporate venture capital (CVC) and open innovation unit, Cemex Ventures. Concrete is the world’s second most used material, next to water. The production of cement—a key component of concrete—is responsible for a significant share of global CO₂ emissions annually, thus reducing related emissions in its production process is a critical climate priority for the building sector.

Terra CO2, an American-based company, produces supplementary cementitious materials and carbon-neutral cement that are scalable to meet the massive demand, making decarbonized concrete a practical and affordable solution for the construction industry. Terra’s first product, OPUS SCM, is an engineered Supplementary Cementitious Material (SCM) made from abundant and cost-effective silicate rock feedstock, capable of reducing up to 70% CO₂ emissions when partially replacing clinker or other traditional cementitious products. Their second product is OPUS ZERO, a 100% cement replacement solution now in full concrete trials. The breakthrough company was granted additional support in 2024 by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), for the deployment of its clean technology.

“Our path to carbon neutrality is stronger than ever. Terra CO2 has emerged as one of the most relevant technologies in today’s market for reducing the carbon footprint at a competitive cost, making it the ideal partner for Cemex,” said Alfredo Carrato, Investment and Open Innovation at Cemex Ventures. “We are thrilled to highlight the synergy with this high-potential Cleantech solution validated by key industry players, as we continue driving the revolution in construction and leading it toward a more sustainable future.”

“Having one of the world’s leading cement producers invest in Terra CO2 validates our technology and its role in decarbonizing the industry,” said Bill Yearsley, CEO of Terra CO2. “Our approach has always been that to achieve decarbonization of cement; we need to create solutions that work as seamlessly as possible within the existing industry infrastructure. We look forward to working alongside Cemex to integrate sustainable solutions that do not disrupt our industry.”

Following this initial investment, Cemex aims to integrate Terra CO2’s portfolio of solutions across its operations in the Americas and Europe, positioning the global building materials company as a leader in carbon reduction within the building materials industry. The American startup aims to help Cemex reduce its Scope 1 CO₂ emissions, targeting the direct greenhouse gas emissions generated by its production processes. This investment bolsters the ambitious climate action goals set out by Cemex’s sustainability and decarbonization program, Future in Action, through its Innovation & Partnerships pillar.

About Terra CO2

Terra is the standard for cement decarbonization. We enable our partners to unlock real zero cement from source to deployment. As the critical component in creating concrete, the foundation of modern infrastructure, cement is responsible for 8% of the world’s CO2 emissions. The CO2 and NOx emissions associated with cement make finding an alternative to current solutions a climate imperative.

Unique to Terra CO2 is their capability to work across a diverse range of silicate rock mineralogy, not constrained by feedstock availability. Terra’s technology allows the company to create sustainable construction materials with the most abundant and accessible raw materials on earth from already approved and open mines.

Terra’s first product, OPUS SCM (Supplementary Cementitious Material), is ready for commercial deployment, capable of replacing up to 50% OPC (Original Portland Cement) and solving the industry’s carbon emissions and dwindling feedstock challenges. Terra’s OPUS ZERO, a complete, real zero cement alternative, is in full concrete trials. Both leverage Terra’s “drop-in” reactor solution, which seamlessly integrates with existing infrastructure and sets the foundation for the transition to real zero cement.

Validated by third parties, Terra’s materials perform equal to or better than traditional cementitious products.

Terra CO2 is headquartered in Golden, Colorado, and is led by a team of industry experts. For more information, please visit: https://terraco2.com/

About Cemex Ventures

About Cemex

Communications – Cemex Ventures

Paloma Hernández

+34 647 38 34 76

paloma.hernandez@cemexventures.com

Media Relations – Cemex

Jorge Pérez

+52 (81) 8259-6666

jorgeluis.perez@cemex.com

#####

Cemex Ventures BV is an indirect subsidiary of Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. Except as the context otherwise may require, references in this press release to “Cemex,” ”we,” ”us,” ”our,” refer to Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE: CX) and its consolidated subsidiaries. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. Cemex intends these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements in the U.S. federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements reflect Cemex’s current expectations and projections about future events based on Cemex’s knowledge of present facts and circumstances and assumptions about future events, as well as Cemex’s current plans based on such facts and circumstances, unless otherwise indicated. These statements necessarily involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from Cemex’s expectations, including, among others, risks, uncertainties, and assumptions discussed in Cemex’s most recent annual report and detailed from time to time in Cemex’s other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Mexican Stock Exchange (Bolsa Mexicana de Valores), which factors are incorporated herein by reference, which if materialized could ultimately lead to Cemex’s expectations, expected results, and/or the investment and projects referred herein not producing the expected benefits and/or results. Cemex assumes that the startups referenced in the list referred to in this press release have the rights to their corresponding projects. Cemex is not responsible for any ownership or rights issues that any startup may have with respect to their corresponding project. Forward-looking statements should not be considered guarantees of future performance, nor the results or developments are indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods. These factors may be revised or supplemented, and the information contained in this press release is subject to change without notice, but Cemex is not under, and expressly disclaims, any obligation to update or correct this press release or revise any forward-looking statement contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances. Any or all of Cemex’s forward-looking statements may turn out to be inaccurate. Accordingly, undue reliance on forward-looking statements should not be placed, as such forward-looking statements speak only as of the dates on which they are made. The content of this press release is for informational purposes only, and you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Cemex is not responsible for any third-party information referenced in this press release.

There is currently no single globally recognized or accepted, consistent, and comparable set of definitions or standards (legal, regulatory, or otherwise) of, nor widespread cross-market consensus i) as to what constitutes, a ‘green’, ‘social,’ or ‘sustainable’ or having equivalent-labeled activity, product, or asset; or ii) as to what precise attributes are required for a particular activity, product, or asset to be defined as ‘green’, ‘social,’ or ‘sustainable’ or such other equivalent label; or iii) as to climate and sustainable funding and financing activities and their classification and reporting. Therefore, there is little certainty, and no assurance or representation is given that such activities and/or reporting of those activities will meet any present or future expectations or requirements for describing or classifying funding and financing activities as ‘green’, ‘social’, or ‘sustainable’ or attributing similar labels. We expect policies, regulatory requirements, standards, and definitions to be developed and continuously evolve over time.

Deep Dive: HiiROC x Cemex Ventures

Francisco Javier Osete — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Did you catch wind of this? Hydrogen, the emerging fuel, is set to unlock a potential $2.5 trillion market by 2050, representing an unparalleled energy powerhouse with limitless possibilities. This energy source has been gaining particular significance, especially within the construction industry.

In our most recent move, we’ve amplified our investment in the cutting-edge clean hydrogen technology startup, HiiROC, one of the Top 50 2021 Contech Startups and Green Construction startups in our investment portfolio. This milestone seeks to increase the adoption of alternative energy fuels in the construction industry and positions Cemex as leader in the use of hydrogen in the cement sector.

Let’s explore our strategic investment in the disruptive cleantech startup and explore what’s next for Cemex and HiiROC.

Let’s take a deeper dive!

Update: Cemex kickstarts first-of-a-kind low-carbon hydrogen project in the cement industry with HiiROC

20/11/2024 – The construction giant, Cemex, has announced the initial industrial-scale deployment of hydrogen with HiiROC, the breakthrough startup with a modular approach and a novel process for low-cost, zero CO2 emission clean hydrogen production, at its Rugby (United Kingdom) cement plant. Hydrogen is one of the low-carbon vectors of the construction industry’s decarbonization roadmap, a powerhouse energy solution with great potential to reduce the use of fossil fuels and lower CO2 emissions.

This venture marks a significant milestone for Cemex, as it represents the beginning of a large-scale strategic project plan with the aim to further lower its carbon emissions in cement production.

This milestone is part of a long-running strategic partnership between Cemex & HiiROC, which began in 2021. For more on this collaboration, read more below!

What – does HiiROC do?

HiiROC has developed a novel process for low-cost, zero CO2 emission hydrogen production. The startup produces hydrogen through its proprietary process: Thermal Plasma Electrolysis (TPE).

HiiROC’s hydrogen production process mitigates the drawbacks of steam methane reforming (which results in CO2 emissions) and water electrolysis (which loses the original input power).

Its TPE Technology is as cost-effective as steam methane reforming but without the need for CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage). Additionally, it consumes a fraction of the energy and costs associated with water electrolysis. Furthermore, the process generates a valuable and emission-free co-product called carbon black, usable in numerous industrial applications.

Why – has Cemex increased its stake in HiiROC?

Cemex Ventures, the open innovation arm of Cemex, seeks to establish partnerships and make strategic investments in promising startups that offer innovative technologies and business models that improve efficiency, processes, and operations, but that also adhere to the company’s ambitious climate and sustainability goals.

This strategic collaboration underscores a mutually advantageous scenario for both: Cemex and HiiROC.

Through Cemex Ventures, Cemex made its inaugural investment in HiiROC in 2021 with the aim to increase hydrogen injection capacity throughout Cemex’s cement operations, concurrently reducing its reliance on fossil fuels. Fast forward just over 18 months, and Cemex, in collaboration with HiiROC, is gearing up for an extensive implementation of the startup’s thermal plasma technology. The focal point of this deployment will be Cemex’s pivotal cement plant in Rugby, United Kingdom, with immediate plans to extend HiiROC’s innovative technology across its EMEA operations in the medium run, expanding their involvement with the startup.

So, let’s dive just a little bit deeper…

How – will HiiROC and Cemex help each other achieve their objectives?

Thanks to HiiROC’s clean hydrogen technology, potential benefits emerge for the greater cement sector, such as reducing its reliance on fossil fuels and CO2 emissions. Cemex, by investing in and partnering with this sustainable solution, intends to scale hydrogen injection in its cement kilns and elevate the substitution rate of fossil fuels.

This collaboration propels Cemex towards achieving the net-zero CO2 status by 2050, as outlined in its Future in Action sustainability program.

However, the benefits of this partnership are mutual. This agreement seeks to help HiiROC with the following:

Increased financial investment: The startup secures additional capital essential for its ongoing development.

Supply for one of the world’s largest materials companies: HiiROC becomes a supplier for a major player in the building materials industry, expanding its networking opportunities and leading strategic opportunities.

Expertise and specialized knowledge: Acceleration of its learning curve and enhanced market positioning.

Who – is HiiROC?

Founded in 2019, HiiROC is a UK-based startup with an innovative hydrogen solution that enables the transition to a ‘Hydrogen Economy’. Its co-founders include Tim Davies (Founder and CEO), Ate Wiekamp (Founder and CSO) and Simon Morris (Founder and CCO).

The foundation of this startup solution rests on five key pillars:

World leading: Revolutionary tech for carbon-free hydrogen.
Versatile: Applicable across various sectors, including power generation, blending, and industrial decarbonization
Economical: Cost-effective like SMR, no need for CCUS, and significantly lower energy/cost compared to water electrolysis.
Efficient: Centralized or local production reduces costs for transportation, storage, and compression.
Scalable: From small modular units (hundreds of kg/day) up to industrial scale solutions (hundreds of tons/day).

Contact us!

Whether you are a startup, SME, corporate, building professional, media journalist, or just want to find out more, we encourage you to contact us through our website or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

You can also keep up to date with the newest Contech deals and news by subscribing to our biweekly Contech Tacos newsletter!

Press release

Cemex kickstarts first-of-a-kind low-carbon hydrogen project using thermal plasma electrolysis in cement production

Madrid, Spain. November 20, 2024. Cemex Ventures, Cemex’s corporate venture capital (CVC) and open innovation unit, announced today an initial hydrogen deployment at industrial scale with HiiROC, the pioneering British hydrogen company that produces affordable, clean hydrogen, at its Rugby cement plant in the United Kingdom. Hydrogen has emerged as a low-carbon energy source within the construction industry’s decarbonization roadmap and offers potential as an energy solution to help reduce the sector’s reliance on fossil fuels and lower CO2 emissions. This venture marks a significant milestone for Cemex, as it represents the beginning of a large-scale strategic project plan with the aim to further lower its carbon emissions in cement production.

HiiROC produces carbon-neutral hydrogen using its proprietary Thermal Plasma Electrolysis (TPE) process, which requires just one-fifth of the electrical energy used in water electrolysis and captures carbon as a solid byproduct, avoiding CO2 emissions – a game-changer for the industry. HiiROC’s modular solution can be deployed as single units to full-scale industrial plants. The hydrogen produced can be used as an alternative energy source to fuel clinker production processes, helping Cemex to achieve its decarbonization goals.

“Our investment into this breakthrough project with HiiROC reinforces Cemex’s commitment to transform the industry by working hand in hand with disruptive startups and new technologies,” said Gonzalo Galindo, Head of Cemex Ventures. “Hydrogen as an alternative source of energy has the capacity to significantly reduce the CO2 emissions produced in our operations, aligning with our 2050 goal to become a net-zero CO2 company and be industry leaders in the industrial use of hydrogen.”

“This deployment with Cemex marks a significant development in the use of HiiROC’s technology and another milestone in the rollout and production of affordable, clean, and scalable production units for a hard-to-decarbonize industry,” said Tim Davies, HiiROC’s Co-Founder and CEO.

This milestone is part of a longer-running strategic partnership between Cemex and HiiROC, which began in 2021 with an initial investment through Cemex’s corporate venture capital arm. Two years later, in 2023, the construction giant increased its stake in HiiROC to expand its hydrogen capacity at its pivotal cement plant in Rugby, United Kingdom.

This project is part of the roadmap for Future in Action, Cemex’s sustainability and decarbonization program, with the primary objective of becoming a net-zero CO2 company by 2050. Through Future in Action, Cemex has achieved company record-breaking progress in reducing its carbon footprint since its launch in 2020.

About HiiROC

HiiROC is a pioneering British hydrogen company dedicated to accelerating Net Zero by transforming the future of clean hydrogen. HiiROC’s proprietary process – Thermal Plasma Electrolysis –makes clean, affordable hydrogen using only one-fifth of the electricity required by water electrolysis while producing no carbon dioxide – an industry game-changer.

Founded in 2019, HiiROC has quickly established itself as a leader in the clean hydrogen technology, with development facilities in Hull and a research lab in Europe. The company has raised over £40mn from investors including Melrose, Wintershall Dea, Centrica, HydrogenOne, Hyundai, Cemex, and Kia. The versatile technology is being demonstrated in 2024 through projects and partnerships across the spectrum of hydrogen use cases, from industrial decarbonization to energy management to transportation.

About Cemex Ventures

About Cemex

###

Except as the context may otherwise require, references in this press release to “Cemex,” “we,” “us,” “our,” refer to Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE: CX) and its consolidated subsidiaries. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. Cemex intends these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements in the U.S. federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements reflect Cemex’s current expectations and projections about future events based on Cemex’s knowledge of present facts and circumstances and assumptions about future events, as well as Cemex’s current plans based on such facts and circumstances, unless otherwise indicated. These statements necessarily involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that could cause actual results, including the impact on Cemex’s business from this joint venture, to differ materially from Cemex’s expectations, including, among others, risks, uncertainties, and assumptions discussed in Cemex’s most recent annual report and detailed from time to time in Cemex’s other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Mexican Stock Exchange (Bolsa Mexicana de Valores), which factors are incorporated herein by reference, which if materialized could ultimately lead to Cemex’s expectations and/or expected results not producing the expected benefits and/or results. Forward-looking statements should not be considered guarantees of future performance, nor the results or developments are indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods. These factors may be revised or supplemented, and the information contained in this press release is subject to change without notice, but Cemex is not under, and expressly disclaims, any obligation to update or correct this press release or revise any forward-looking statement contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances. Any or all of Cemex’s forward-looking statements may turn out to be inaccurate. Accordingly, undue reliance on forward-looking statements should not be placed, as such forward-looking statements speak only as of the dates on which they are made. The content of this press release is for informational purposes only, and you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Cemex is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims responsibility for, the content of any third-party information included in this press release. There is currently no single globally recognized or accepted, consistent, and comparable set of definitions or standards (legal, regulatory, or otherwise) of, nor widespread cross-market consensus i) as to what constitutes, a ‘green’, ‘social,’ or ‘sustainable’ or having equivalent-labelled activity, product, or asset; or ii) as to what precise attributes are required for a particular activity, product, or asset to be defined as ‘green’, ‘social,’ or ‘sustainable’ or such other equivalent label; or iii) as to climate and sustainable funding and financing activities and their classification and reporting. Therefore, there is little certainty, and no assurance or representation is given that such activities and/or reporting of those activities will meet any present or future expectations or requirements for describing or classifying funding and financing activities as ‘green’, ‘social’, or ‘sustainable’ or attributing similar labels. We expect policies, regulatory requirements, standards, and definitions to be developed and continuously evolve over time. Cemex is not responsible for the content of any third-party website or webpage referenced to or accessible through this press release.

Meet Construction Startup Competition 2024 Winners

Francisco Javier Osete — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 05:56:00 +0000

This year, we launched a call for the most innovative startups to make a difference and shape the industry’s future with their breakthrough business models to Build Something Bigger Together.

Construction Startup Competition 2024 called on startups worldwide to submit solutions that make construction more sustainable, efficient, on time, and disruptive.

The competition’s 8th edition – hosted this year by Cemex Ventures, Caterpillar, Dysruptek by Haskell, Ferrovial, Hilti, VINCI Group’s Leonard, NOVA by Saint-Gobain, Trimble, and Zacua Ventures – saw an impressive response with hundreds of applications from impressive technology startups worldwide. Selecting only 8 winners was definitely a challenge.

Finally, after months of intense evaluation, we’re thrilled to unveil the 8 winning startups!

The Winners

Green Construction – Sustainable:

MIXTERESTING (Austria): Mixteresting’s software enables its customers to develop CO2-efficient concrete by digitally simulating the mixing process, accelerating the development cycle by up to 10 times. This allows them to achieve 5-7% higher margins through more efficient and innovative concrete mixes and reduce CO2 emissions by up to 20% through performance-based optimization: http://www.mixteresting.com
revitalyze (Austria): The Austria-based startup provides a solution to reduce waste in the construction industry by matching valuable materials from demolition and dismantling projects with the demand for secondary materials from building material manufacturers. They are faster and more cost-effective than existing solutions in building inventory analysis, as they focus solely on identifying materials that can be repurposed: https://www.revitalyze.io

Enhanced Productivity – Efficient:

Kraaft (France): Kraaft’s mission is to reconcile field & office teams, which often have difficulty communicating. Their take is to start with what’s already the cornerstone of day-to-day field management: simple chats and to augment those with construction-focused modules so that data gets structured semi-automatically. Their first focus is utility & infrastructure sub-contractors, and we’re starting to expand in the vertical building segment. They have 600+ customers, 15k+ active users in Europe & North America: https://www.kraaft.co
GOLD WINNER – Sodex Innovations (Austria): Sodex Innovations improves surveying in construction by installing hardware such as laser scanners, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), and cameras directly on the construction machine. This enables the machines to deliver digital twins of construction sites to our cloud solution in real time. This means the current status can be accessed quickly, reducing manual data collection and processing, saving time, and cutting costs. Their solutions increase transparency, improve documentation, and support project management: https://sodex-innovations.com/
BRONZE WINNER – Trunk Tools (United States): The American startup has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) platform to organize mountains of unstructured data, automate workflows, and augment worker productivity. From identifying data discrepancies to tracking schedule misses, their AI agents are augmenting construction professionals’ intelligence and productivity. Their flagship agent, TrunkText, allows field workers to ask questions about their project documents, receiving answers and supporting documentation in seconds: https://www.trunktools.com

Construction Supply Chain – On Time:

Kaya AI (United States): Kaya’s supply chain intelligence platform reduces supply chain risks & minimizes delays to project execution by enabling data-driven lead times, breaking down communication silos & accelerating the coordination between the project team & suppliers. Their proprietary model learns from project data & incorporates progress updates from trades & suppliers to provide a more realistic view of when materials will arrive onsite, enabling a centralized view of end-to-end supply chain activities: https://usekaya.ai/

Future of Construction – Disruptive:

SILVER WINNER – Raise Robotics (United States): Raise Robotics is a leading construction robotics company specializing in autonomous high-precision fastening solutions for on-site construction. With a deep understanding of the construction industry’s safety, accuracy, and productivity demands, Raise Robotics develops advanced robotic systems that work seamlessly with existing customer workflows, achieving unparalleled results. Their current focus is on deploying robots with contractors to handle the installation and inspection of facade brackets: https://raiserobotics.ai/
GScan (Estonia): GScan uses cosmic rays (muons) to look inside critical infrastructure like bridges, tunnels, buildings, and nuclear reactors. This is the only tech capable of seeing more than 40cm into concrete or steel. With 30x higher accuracy than industry standards (and only technology capable of scanning concrete deeper than 50cm, their 3D models help asset owners and operators to significantly cut costs by (a) extending infrastructure lifecycle and (b) reducing renovation budgets w/o increasing the risk level: https://www.gscan.eu/

Pitch Day 2024

But there’s still one last stop in the competition!

These 8 winning startups are headed to the ultimate milestone of the competition: Pitch Day to compete for the chance to become the gold, silver, and bronze trophies and receive cash prizes! This year, Pitch Day 2024 will take place at Trimble’s Dimensions User conference on November 12 in Las Vegas, Nevada (USA).

What is Pitch Day?

Pitch Day is the final stage of Construction Startup Competition, where winning startups are invited to pitch their solutions to a jury made up of executive representatives from the competition host companies – some of the top tier players in the construction industry!

The winning startups have the gold opportunity to pitch their solutions directly to investors and attend Dimensions, one of the industry’s leading conferences, where they can meet with startup peers, innovators, and investors. Check out all the Construction Startup Competition benefits here.

Coming up

Just like the competition’s theme, we need to BUILD SOMETHING BIGGER TOGETHER, so stay tuned for the 2025 collaboration opportunities we’ve got in store:

January 2024: As we kick off the new year, we’ll be announcing the Top 50 2025 Contech Startups. If you participated in the Construction Startup Competition 2024, your startup could make the list!

Spring 2024: The next challenge for construction startups is set to be bigger than ever. If you applied this year, we highly recommend reapplying. Many of our past winners also applied in previous competitions and earned spots in the Top 50 Contech Startups.

Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn & X to stay up to date on all Cemex Ventures news!

Press Release

Construction Startup Competition 2024 Names the Eight Startup Winners Revolutionizing the Construction Industry

The hosts of the competition – venture capital and construction companies Cemex Ventures, Caterpillar, Dysruptek by Haskell, Ferrovial, Hilti, Leonard by VINCI, NOVA by Saint-Gobain, Trimble and Zacua Ventures – have named the eight winning startup solutions advancing innovation in the construction sector.

The eight startup winners will compete for the gold, silver and bronze medals at Pitch Day, taking place at Trimble Dimensions User Conference in Las Vegas on November 12, 2024.

MADRID, October 22, 2024 – Today the partners of Construction Startup Competition 2024, Cemex Ventures, Caterpillar, Dysruptek by Haskell, Ferrovial, Hilti, Leonard by VINCI, NOVA by Saint-Gobain, Trimble and Zacua Ventures, have announced the most promising startup solutions from this year’s competition with the potential to transform the construction industry.

The annual competition, now in its eighth edition, received a large number of startup applications from over 70 countries. Startup solutions were categorized into four focus areas that correspond to current pain points in the construction value chain: Green Construction (sustainability), Enhanced Productivity (efficiency), Construction Supply Chain (timeliness), and Future of Construction (disruption). The most promising startup solutions from each focus area were named Construction Startup Competition 2024’s champions: GScan [Estonia], Kaya AI [US], KRAAFT [France], MIXTERESTING GmbH [Austria], Raise Robotics [US], revitalyze [Austria], Sodex Innovations GmbH [Austria] and Trunk Tools [US].

The eight aforementioned winners will advance to the competition’s final milestone, Pitch Day 2024, and present their solutions to executive representatives from the competition’s partner companies, industry investors and potential business partners at Trimble Dimensions User Conference on November 12 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The three startups with the best pitches will receive cash prizes, be named the gold, silver and bronze medalists, and continue to be evaluated for potential partnership opportunities with the host companies.

Over the last eight years, Construction Startup Competition has been a launching pad for more than 3,500 startups to network, validate their solutions through pilots and deployment projects, gain industry recognition, and facilitate fundraising with the mission to advance innovation in construction and promote the adoption of startup technologies.

As the construction sector undergoes a technological revolution, the competition hosts are saying to startups, “Let’s build something bigger together!” Contech & Cleantech startups looking to meet with investors, pilot their solutions and make a significant impact in the construction industry can join the competition partners and winners at Trimble Dimensions User Conference.

About Construction Startup Competition

Since its first edition in 2017, startups from more than 80 countries have participated in the biggest challenge aimed at startups in the construction industry, the Construction Startup Competition. Many entrepreneurs have gone on to collaborate with the participating companies after applying to the Competition. Given the global outreach of its partners, the 2024 edition received an increase in the number of startup applications to identify the most innovative solutions around the world, continue growing the Contech ecosystem and begin agile adoption of applicants’ innovative technologies and business models.  

About Cemex Ventures

Launched in 2017, Cemex Ventures focuses on helping overcome the main challenges and capitalizing on the opportunity areas in the construction ecosystem through sustainable solutions. Cemex Ventures has developed an open collaborative platform to lead the revolution of the construction industry, engaging startups, entrepreneurs, universities, and other stakeholders to tackle the challenges in the construction environment and shape the industry’s future. For more information on Cemex Ventures, please visit: www.cemexventures.com

About Caterpillar

With 2023 sales and revenues of $67.1 billion, Caterpillar Inc. is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. For nearly 100 years, we’ve been helping customers build a better, more sustainable world and are committed and contributing to a reduced-carbon future. Our innovative products and services, backed by our global dealer network, provide exceptional value that helps customers succeed. Caterpillar does business on every continent, principally operating through three primary segments – Construction Industries, Resource Industries and Energy & Transportation – and providing financing and related services through our Financial Products segment. Visit us at caterpillar.com or join the conversation on our social media channels at https://www.caterpillar.com/en/news/social-media.html

About Dysruptek

Formed in 2018, Dysruptek is the venture investment arm of The Haskell Company. Dysruptek seeks to invest in disruptive Architecture, Engineering and Construction technologies reshaping the built world. Dysruptek acts as an agent of change and partner to innovators driving meaningful impact across the industry. Invest. Invent. Innovate. For more information, please visit: www.dysruptek.com  

About Ferrovial

Ferrovial is one of the world’s leading infrastructure companies. The Company operates in more than 15 countries and has a workforce of over 24,000 worldwide. Ferrovial is triple listed on Euronext Amsterdam, the Spanish Stock Exchanges and Nasdaq and is a member of Spain’s blue-chip IBEX 35 index. It is part of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and FTSE4Good, and all its operations are conducted in compliance with the principles of the UN Global Compact, which the Company adopted in 2002. For more information on Ferrovial, please visit: www.ferrovial.com

About the Hilti Group

The Hilti Group supplies the worldwide construction and energy industries with technologically leading products, systems, software and services. With about 34,000 team members in over 120 countries the company stands for direct customer relationships, quality and innovation. Hilti generated annual sales of more than CHF 6.5 billion in 2023 and invests approximately 7 percent of sales in research and development each year. The company is privately owned by the Martin Hilti Family Trust, which ensures its long-term continuity. The Hilti Group’s purpose is making construction better, based on a passionate and inclusive global team and a caring and performance-oriented culture. With more than 280,000 daily interactions with customers, Hilti knows that the most innovative ideas are born on the jobsite. To learn more about Hilti, please visit: www.hilti.group  

About Leonard by VINCI

Leonard is the innovation and foresight platform set up by VINCI, a global player in concessions, energy and construction businesses, employing more than 280,000 people in more than 120 countries. Leonard was created to imagine the future of the Group’s business lines and is tasked with watching emerging trends in VINCI’s areas of expertise and markets, identifying new growth opportunities, and setting up incubation and acceleration programs for Group employees as well as start-ups. Each year, Leonard supports the acceleration and development of over 40 of the best innovative projects in construction, mobility, energy and real estate. To house these programs and start conversations with all the people blazing new trails in VINCI’s business lines, Leonard opened Leonard: Paris, a 4,500 square meters lab in Paris. Since 2020, Leonard has been expanding operations in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Latin America. To find out more about Leonard: https://leonard.vinci.com/en/

About NOVA by Saint-Gobain

NOVA by Saint-Gobain, the external venture arm of Saint-Gobain, identifies forward-thinking startups around the world whose philosophies align with Saint-Gobain’s focus on sustainability. It helps those startups nurture their ideas and grow their companies to scale through partnerships and investment. With a presence in Asia, Europe and North America, NOVA by Saint-Gobain connects the global startup community with the power, resources, and experience of Saint-Gobain to address the needs of today and challenges of tomorrow. Learn more by visiting https://nova-saint-gobain.com and www.saint-gobain.com

About Trimble Ventures

Launched in 2021, Trimble Ventures is a corporate venture capital fund focused on investing in early and growth-stage companies that align with Trimble’s mission of transforming work in the agriculture, construction, geospatial and transportation industries. The fund deploys strategic capital to accelerate the growth of innovative companies and partners that complement Trimble’s products, technology platforms and support its customer’s work. Trimble Ventures targets investing in companies with technologies and solutions related to hardware and software applications; artificial intelligence; augmented, virtual and mixed reality; autonomy and robotics; blockchain; the Internet of Things (IoT) and analytics; and sustainability. For more information on Trimble Ventures, visit: ventures.trimble.com

About Trimble

Trimble is transforming the ways people move, build and live. Core technologies in positioning, modeling and data analytics connect the digital and physical worlds to improve our customers’ productivity, quality, safety, transparency, and sustainability. For more information about Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB), visit: www.trimble.com   

About Zacua Ventures

Zacua Ventures is a dynamic, early-stage venture capital fund dedicated to tackling the most pressing challenges in Sustainability, Productivity, and Urbanization within the built environment, on a global scale. With our strategic footprint in North America, Europe, Latam and Asia, Zacua Ventures actively supports the most visionary and forward-thinking entrepreneurs. Our mission is to not only fortify their value propositions but also facilitate the global expansion of their ventures, leveraging extensive corporate networks. Zacua has a robust backing from industry-leading corporations worldwide, across the entire value chain of the industry, establishing a distinctive value proposition for our portfolio startups by fostering direct relationships with leading building material manufacturers, contractors, engineering companies, developers, and software companies. Zacua is led by partners with over three decades of combined industry expertise, who, for the past decade, have been at the forefront of investing in cutting-edge construction technology. Discover how Zacua Ventures is shaping the future of the built environment by empowering visionary entrepreneurs at www.zacuaventures.com

Deep Dive: KC8 x Cemex Ventures

Francisco Javier Osete — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 05:51:03 +0000

Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) is just one way the construction industry is transforming emissions into sustainable solutions. A game-changing innovator is reshaping the landscape of green construction and now has made its way into our investment portfolio to stay. Meet KC8.

The Australian-based startup is driving sustainability innovation within the industry, paving the way towards a carbon-neutral future. With a team with more than 20 years of experience, KC8 has developed an unrivaled carbon capture solution.

Keep scrolling for a deep dive into KC8 & how our investment is making a significant impact in the construction industry!

What – does KC8 do?

KC8 Capture Technologies has developed an affordable carbon capture solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the use of fossil fuels in heavy industries. Their innovative solution is a direct response to the continuous increase in carbon pricing over time. As a result, industry processes that emit CO2 have an unprecedented chance to embrace KC8’s environmentally friendly carbon capture process, which not only aligns with their green objectives but also significantly reduces operational costs.

To better understand its technology, it’s important to note that traditional solvents used in Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) often pose environmental hazards. However, KC8 offers an unparalleled value proposition with its proprietary non-toxic, non-volatile solvent that has zero environmental impact. This has resulted in the safest and most tolerant solvent for CO2 removal available in today’s market.

KC8’s cutting-edge technology enables up to 95% CO2 capture, enhances energy efficiency by 15%, and reduces overall operating costs by 50% for partners in heavy industries compared to conventional amine solvents.

Why – invest in KC8?

As the open innovation arm of Cemex, we are committed to continuously seeking out high-potential startups focused on green construction that enhance sustainability in the sector. With a focus on decarbonizing the built environment, advocating for circular economy principles, and embracing renewable energies, Cemex Ventures is keen to collaborate with startups aligned with these objectives. KC8 emerges as an ideal partner due to its CCUS technology, which acts as a pivotal tool in accelerating Cemex’s decarbonization efforts.

Put simply: Cemex is partnering with KC8 to affordably reduce CO2 emissions originating from its production processes, advancing the construction industry’s journey towards CO2 neutrality.

So, let’s dive a little bit deeper…

How – will KC8 and Cemex help each other achieve their objectives?

In this partnership, Cemex aims to take KC8’s technology to the next level in the largest project of its kind to date for the startup, helping it fulfill its mission of becoming the global leader in CO2 capture techniques. This agreement seeks to help KC8 with the following benefits:

Strategic investment: The startup obtains smart money for its ongoing development.

Supplier for one of the world’s biggest construction giants: Cemex Ventures seeks to foster the growth of the Australian startup by connecting it to Cemex’s extensive network and resources, aiming to forge synergies and foster startup-corporate collaboration.

Expertise & specialized knowledge: Leveraging Cemex Ventures’ expertise in growth strategies and the construction industry expertise of Cemex.

However, the benefits of this collaboration are bidirectional – it’s a win-win! KC8’s disruptive clean technology has the potential to position Cemex as a leader in carbon capture in the construction industry. Cemex, by investing and partnering with this sustainable solution, intends to pilot its technology in one of its leading cement plants, to capture 100 tons per day of CO2, an ambition that is 10 times greater than the current project scopes.

This partnership strengthens Cemex’s ambitious climate action goals outlined in its sustainability program, Future in Action, which aims to reduce Cemex’s carbon footprint in its production process by 2030 through its Innovation & Partnerships pillar. Also, this investment aligns with Cemex’s sustainability roadmap, pushing it closer to achieving net-zero CO2 emissions status by 2050.

Who – is KC8?

In 2021, KC8 Capture Technologies Ltd acquired UNO Technologies, a company with extensive experience, and subsequently changed its name. KC8 is an Australian-based startup that operates in Australia and the United States. The company is at the forefront of the Carbon Capture, Utilization & Storage industry, spearheading efforts to reduce CO2 emissions in hard to abate industries.

In 2023, KC8 was awarded funding through the ARPA-E Phase 2 Flexible Carbon Capture and Storage program by the United States Department of Energy (DoE). Also, it was featured in our Cleantech Construction Map 2023 under the CCUS vertical. In 2024, the startup was named a Top 50 Contech Startup for 2024, in the Green Construction focus area.

KC8’s team has extended experience and a diverse background in the chemical and processing industries that has allowed them to take an innovative approach to the carbon capture problem:

What is their mission? Their mission is to commercialize the low-cost and environmentally friendly CO2 capture processes that form the foundation of KC8’s technology.

Their challenge is to address the growing climate change issue through their solution to lowering emissions across all sectors – both energy and industrial – around the world.

What’s next?

Like all our portfolio companies, we’ll keep you updated with all the news about KC8 through our digital channels: blog, social media: LinkedIn & X, and our biweekly Contech Tacos Newsletter.

But if you’re an entrepreneur with a solution that’s addressing critical pain points in green construction (carbon tools, circular construction, CCUS, sustainable materials, alternative fuels, and more!), we invite you to contact us!

Press release

Cemex Ventures invests in acclaimed CCUS startup to become front runners in carbon capture

Madrid, Spain. July 8, 2024. Cemex announced today its most recent investment in frontrunning carbon capture startup, KC8 Capture Technologies (KC8), carried out through its corporate venture capital and open innovation unit, Cemex Ventures. This investment in KC8’s technology has the intention of scaling such technologies to new heights in the largest project of its kind to date for KC8.

KC8, which is an Australian-based startup, provides the construction industry with an affordable pathway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the use of fossil fuels. Traditional solvents used in Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) rely on solvents that can present an environmental hazard, but KC8’s value proposition is their proprietary non-toxic, non-volatile solvent designed to have no impact on the environment. Moreover, the startup’s breakthrough technology is designed to enable up to 95% CO₂capture, optimize energy efficiency by 15%, and cut down overall operating costs by 50% for partners in heavy industries, such as Cemex, in comparison to conventional amine solvents.

Following this initial investment, Cemex seeks to test KC8’s technology in a Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) study at one of its leading cement plants with the aim to capture more than 100 tons per day (TDP) of CO₂, an ambition that is 10 times greater than current project scopes.

“The path to carbon neutrality is paved by not only sustainable investments, but also active and aggressive clean technology adoption by industry leaders who are producing on a global scale with a considerable impact within construction”, said Gonzalo Galindo, Head of Cemex Ventures. “We are thrilled to help promote the growth of KC8 by connecting the startup to Cemex’s extensive network and resources and to find synergies in order to foster the construction industry revolution.”

“As a global supplier in carbon capture technologies, we are very excited to be working with the global Cemex organization in the further development of our technology supporting the cement industry,” said Greg Ross, Executive Director. “The support of Cemex Ventures will undoubtedly be a major part of our success and we look forward to further collaboration as we implement larger scale projects.”

This technology has the potential to position Cemex as a leader in carbon capture in the construction industry. It aims to help Cemex reduce its Scope 1 CO₂ emissions to reduce the direct greenhouse gas emissions derived from its production processes. This investment bolsters the ambitions climate action goals set out by Cemex’s sustainability program, Future in Action, through its Innovation & Partnerships pillar.

About KC8 Capture Technologies

KC8 Capture Technologies Ltd (www.kc8capture.com) is a process licensing company developing carbon capture technologies. KC8 is an Australian based and operates in Melbourne, Perth and now has an office in the USA. The company has developed carbon capture technologies which are currently going into a commercial demonstration phase in both cement kiln flue gas and gas turbine flue gas. Through research and development, it controls 11 patent families with over 40 awarded international patents and many more pending.

About Cemex Ventures

About Cemex

###

Cemex Ventures B.V. is an indirect subsidiary of Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. Except as the context otherwise may require, references in this press release to “Cemex,” ”we,” ”us,” ”our,” refer to Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE: CX) and its consolidated subsidiaries. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. Cemex intends these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements in the U.S. federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements reflect Cemex’s current expectations and projections about future events based on Cemex’s knowledge of present facts and circumstances and assumptions about future events, as well as Cemex’s current plans based on such facts and circumstances, unless otherwise indicated. These statements necessarily involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from Cemex’s expectations, including, among others, risks, uncertainties, and assumptions discussed in Cemex’s most recent annual report and detailed from time to time in Cemex’s other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Mexican Stock Exchange (Bolsa Mexicana de Valores), which factors are incorporated herein by reference, which if materialized could ultimately lead to Cemex’s expectations, expected results, and/or the investment and projects referred herein not producing the expected benefits and/or results. Forward-looking statements should not be considered guarantees of future performance, nor the results or developments are indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods. These factors may be revised or supplemented, and the information contained in this press release is subject to change without notice, but Cemex is not under, and expressly disclaims, any obligation to update or correct this press release or revise any forward-looking statement contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances. Any or all of Cemex’s forward-looking statements may turn out to be inaccurate. Accordingly, undue reliance on forward-looking statements should not be placed, as such forward-looking statements speak only as of the dates on which they are made. The content of this press release is for informational purposes only, and you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Cemex is not responsible for any third-party information referenced in this press release. There is currently no single globally recognized or accepted, consistent, and comparable set of definitions or standards (legal, regulatory, or otherwise) of, nor widespread cross-market consensus i) as to what constitutes, a ‘green’, ‘social,’ or ‘sustainable’ or having equivalent-labelled activity, product, or asset; or ii) as to what precise attributes are required for a particular activity, product, or asset to be defined as ‘green’, ‘social,’ or ‘sustainable’ or such other equivalent label; or iii) as to climate and sustainable funding and financing activities and their classification and reporting. Therefore, there is little certainty, and no assurance or representation is given that such activities and/or reporting of those activities will meet any present or future expectations or requirements for describing or classifying funding and financing activities as ‘green’, ‘social’, or ‘sustainable’ or attributing similar labels. We expect policies, regulatory requirements, standards, and definitions to be developed and continuously evolve over time.

Deep Dive: Vizcab x Cemex Ventures

Francisco Javier Osete — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 07:00:21 +0000

Always on the lookout for groundbreaking innovations, we are excited to share our latest venture through our exclusive ‘Deep Dive’ content series. We understand your time is valuable, so we’ve done the heavy lifting to bring you comprehensive insights into our latest strategic investment.

In our most recent move, we have invested in Vizcab, the bronze medal winner of Construction Startup Competition 2023 and green construction startup in our list of the Top 50 Contech Startups redefining the Contech ecosystem.

Below we explore our partnership with the green construction startup so you can better understand our investment and learn about the new addition to our investment portfolio.

Let’s take a deeper dive!

What – does Vizcab do?

Vizcab has developed a digital platform to measure and reduce the carbon impact of construction projects. This revolutionary platform is aimed at developers, architects, engineers and building manufacturers, and offers SaaS solutions that enable carbon emissions to be accurately measured at separate phases in a building’s life cycle.

Vizcab’s product suite makes this complicated process simple by incorporating 5 digital services that permit manufacturers, designers, real estate developers, and builders to benchmark building materials and practices, set building sustainability strategies, automate LCAs into the construction plan, measure performance to identify impactful insights, and get the full overview of real estate developers’ scope 3 emissions all while staying connected in one integrated platform.

Why – invest in Vizcab?

In a world where addressing embodied carbon in the built environment is paramount for mitigating the impacts of climate change, investing in Vizcab emerges as a strategic imperative. The urgency stems from the growing regulatory landscape, particularly within the European Union, where building construction is now subject to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) requirements across nine countries, but is sure to expand. Looking ahead, the EPDB directive mandates LCA for new buildings (less than 2000 m2) by 2027 and extends this requirement to all buildings by 2030.

What sets Vizcab apart is its digital end-to-end platform, a revolutionary solution that tackles the traditionally slow, complex, and nontransparent current processes in our industry. By streamlining workflows, Vizcab not only adheres to evolving market needs but also anticipates them. This agility becomes increasingly critical each year as regulations and new standards become more stringent.

As the corporate venture capital and open innovation unit of Cemex, Cemex Ventures looks to build relationships and strategically invest in promising startups with modern technologies and business models that improve efficiency, processes, and operations, but that also adhere to the company’s ambitious climate and sustainability goals.

How – will Vizcab and Cemex help each other achieve their objectives?

Cemex Ventures aims to forge a mutually beneficial partnership with Vizcab to help all three entities (Cemex, Cemex Ventures, and Vizcab) achieve their respective objectives. Here’s how:

Strategic investment: By strategically investing in Vizcab, Cemex Ventures seeks to contribute to the development and success of a pioneering startup that aligns with its commitment to fostering innovation under its Green Construction focus area. The investment in this startup is especially strategic and valuable as its services benefit the entire construction value chain, with a primary focus on empowering developers to formulate high-ROI carbon-to-cost strategies. Vizcab harnesses an ever-expanding building carbon data lake encompassing 11 million square meters of construction, simplifying data science and machine learning.

Cemex Ventures seeks to support Vizcab by:

Developing a partnership with Cemex to suggest products that can decrease the embodied carbon of Vizcab’s customers.
Test and improve the value offered to manufacturers and suppliers.
Connecting Vizcab to our construction and sustainability ecosystem and partners.
Provide valuable industry perspectives and feedback.

Sustainability: In turn, Vizcab’s cutting-edge digital platform for measuring and reducing the carbon emissions of construction projects contributes to Cemex’s Future in Action sustainability program and its Investment and Partnerships pillar, which encompasses the company’s strategic sustainable investments. Vizcab’s sustainable product library, which permits the building materials manufacturer to reach more customers and foster the use of lower-carbon materials, such as Cemex’s Vertua portfolio of sustainable products.

Customer-centric products & services: This investment is aligned with Cemex’s strategic priority: Customer Centricity, which focuses on creating value for customers by understanding and proactively meeting their needs continuously.

Digital innovation: Vizcab’s solution helps construction stakeholders throughout the entire construction value chain build more efficiently and intelligently. As a leading building materials manufacturer, Vizcab’s platform permits Cemex to digitize its catalog of sustainable products and services to ensure that designers, builders, and developers can conveniently benchmark, browse and manage building materials to find the best solutions for their projects.

Who – is Vizcab?

Since 2015, the Lyon, France-based startup specializes in providing advanced solutions to measure and manage the carbon emissions embedded in construction projects.

What is their mission? Their mission is to provide construction stakeholders with the fastest, most powerful, and collaborative Building Life Cycle Analysis service. They believe that digital technology and data sciences hold the potential to catalyze the energy-carbon transition in the building sector, making it beneficial for the entire industry.

Their challenge is to make the power of Building Life Cycle Analyses accessible to construction and real estate professionals. Through technologies related to data science and artificial intelligence, they offer the opportunity to guide their companies towards carbon neutrality by 2050.

Contact us!

You can also keep up to date with the newest Contech deals and news by subscribing to our biweekly Contech Tacos newsletter!

Press release

Cemex Ventures invests in digital solution aiming to reduce construction’s CO2 footprint

Madrid, Spain. November 21, 2023. Cemex Ventures, Cemex’s corporate venture capital (CVC) and open innovation unit, announced today its investment in Vizcab, a French startup whose digital platform enables different developers and architecture, engineering & construction (AEC) stakeholders to assess and work towards reducing CO2 emissions across the construction value chain.

Assessing and working towards reducing embodied carbon in the construction materials industry can contribute to reduce the impact of climate change in the short-term. Vizcab’s holistic solution provides a comprehensive view of a building’s carbon footprint throughout its entire lifecycle from start to end-of-life – from a building’s embodied carbon to its operational carbon emissions. Vizcab’s product suite makes this complicated process simple by incorporating 5 digital services that permit manufacturers, designers, real estate developers, and builders to benchmark building materials and practices, set building sustainability strategies, automate life cycle assessments (“LCAs”) into the construction plan, measure performance to identify impactful insights, and get a full overview of real estate developers’ scope 3 emissions all while staying connected in one integrated platform.

Vizcab’s goal is to build more sustainable buildings that are able to comply with stricter environmental standards and regulations. Governments are more frequently requiring from stakeholders across the global construction value chain. Governmental regulation, such as the “RE 2020” in France, has accelerated the use of Vizcab’s platform that can make LCA and optimizations simpler and faster.

“Vizcab’s exhaustive solution enables cooperation between different stakeholders to manage carbon strategies throughout a project’s lifecycle, a critical challenge in our complex and interconnected industry. This solution also implements the use of building materials with sustainable attributes, such as Cemex’s Vertua portfolio of products,” said Gonzalo Galindo, Head of Cemex Ventures. “As Cemex’s open innovation unit, Cemex Ventures is dedicated to investing in solutions that promote construction that considers sustainability and advance the decarbonization goals of our industry, as is reflected by our Green Construction investment pillar.”

This investment strengthens Cemex’s commitment to delivering customer-centric products and services. Moreover, this strategic investment bolsters Cemex Ventures’ objective to foster the construction industry revolution by promoting the growth of digital solutions that enhance productivity and efficiency.

About Vizcab

Vizcab is a Lyon-based software platform founded in 2015 by Dr. Thomas Jusselme and Guillaume Lafont, with expertise in sustainable design. It serves real estate developers, architects, and construction engineers. Vizcab offers a data-driven solution that calculates LCA of buildings, aiding compliance with local regulations. It also allows real estate developers to gauge their carbon performance, expedite ESG reporting, and work towards net-zero emissions. Vizcab has 120 customers (2000+ users), all over the construction value chain. It integrates with digital construction tools like Buildrz, Saqara, or Revit. Future plans include involving building material manufacturers to promote their products with sustainable attributes.

About Cemex Ventures

About Cemex

Cemex is a global construction materials company that is building a better future through products and solutions that focus on sustainability. Cemex is committed to achieving carbon neutrality through relentless innovation and industry-leading research and development. Cemex is at the forefront of the circular economy in the construction value chain and is pioneering ways to increase the use of waste and residues as alternative raw materials and fuels in its operations with the help of new technologies. Cemex offers cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates, and urbanization solutions in growing markets around the world, powered by a multinational workforce focused on providing a superior customer experience enabled by digital technologies. For more information, please visit: www.cemex.com

###

Cemex Ventures BV is an indirect subsidiary of Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V.. Except as the context otherwise may require, references in this press release to “Cemex,” ”we,” ”us,” ”our,” refer to Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE: CX) and its consolidated subsidiaries. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. Cemex intends these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements in the U.S. federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements reflect Cemex’s current expectations and projections about future events based on Cemex’s knowledge of present facts and circumstances and assumptions about future events, as well as Cemex’s current plans based on such facts and circumstances, unless otherwise indicated. These statements necessarily involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from Cemex’s expectations, including, among others, risks, uncertainties, and assumptions discussed in Cemex’s most recent annual report and detailed from time to time in Cemex’s other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Mexican Stock Exchange (Bolsa Mexicana de Valores), which factors are incorporated herein by reference, which if materialized could ultimately lead to Cemex’s expectations, expected results, and/or the investment and projects referred herein not producing the expected benefits and/or results. Forward-looking statements should not be considered guarantees of future performance, nor the results or developments are indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods. These factors may be revised or supplemented, and the information contained in this press release is subject to change without notice, but Cemex is not under, and expressly disclaims, any obligation to update or correct this press release or revise any forward-looking statement contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances. Any or all of Cemex’s forward-looking statements may turn out to be inaccurate. Accordingly, undue reliance on forward-looking statements should not be placed, as such forward-looking statements speak only as of the dates on which they are made. The content of this press release is for informational purposes only, and you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Cemex is not responsible for any third-party information referenced in this press release.

There is currently no single globally recognized or accepted, consistent, and comparable set of definitions or standards (legal, regulatory, or otherwise) of, nor widespread cross-market consensus i) as to what constitutes, a ‘green’, ‘social,’ or ‘sustainable’ or having equivalent-labelled activity, product, or asset; or ii) as to what precise attributes are required for a particular activity, product, or asset to be defined as ‘green’, ‘social,’ or ‘sustainable’ or such other equivalent label; or iii) as to climate and sustainable funding and financing activities and their classification and reporting. Therefore, there is little certainty, and no assurance or representation is given that such activities and/or reporting of those activities will meet any present or future expectations or requirements for describing or classifying funding and financing activities as ‘green’, ‘social’, or ‘sustainable’ or attributing similar labels. We expect policies, regulatory requirements, standards, and definitions to be developed and continuously evolve over time.

Recycled concrete, the eco-friendly solution for construction

Francisco Javier Osete — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 08:00:29 +0000

We all know the basics of recycling. Plastics, paper, glass, and organic matter should be separated and put in their appropriate containers. But times have changed, and the number of recyclable materials is only increasing each year. In fact, many household items like toothbrushes, fluorescent light bulbs, and holiday lights are just a few examples of things you can now recycle. Every industry is testing the limits of recycling, and in the world of construction, the latest innovation making waves is recycled concrete.

Yep, you read that correctly. But can concrete be recycled? Really? It’s true – the second most widely used substance on Earth & traditionally a heavy CO2 emitter is going green, and this is how!

Can concrete be recycled?

In the construction industry today there’s a lot of talk about CDEW, which stands for Construction, Demolition, and Excavation Waste if you didn’t already know. And if you’re not talking about it, you should be. In Europe, CDEW makes up more than a third of all waste generated and, in the UK, it is estimated that around 120 million tonnes of CDEW waste is generated every year. That’s why the construction industry’s most used material is getting a new life through recycling.

Recycled concrete refers to the reuse of concrete from demolished structures in new construction or refurbishment projects.

How concrete is recycled

Once concrete reaches its end-of-life stage, it can be recycled through a process that involves breaking it up, removing unwanted materials such as dirt and steel, and then crushing the remaining mixture into the preferred specs.

This process can be carried out in a quarry or on-site, and the resulting product is called recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) that can be used as a base to make new concrete products.

The benefits of recycling concrete

There are many benefits related to sustainability and quality that result from concrete recycling:

Less dependency on finite natural resources: By recycling used concrete, less extractions from the earth are required and the environmental effect of extraction and transportation of new resources is also reduced or removed altogether.
Decarbonization of the construction industry: Less emissions are released with concrete made with RCA than with virgin resources.
Less landfill waste: It can’t go without saying that concrete recycling also eliminates or substantially reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. It can also alleviate the high costs related to landfill levies and save your business money.
Lighter concrete: Recycled concrete can be lighter than newly produced concrete, which translates to more volume per ton per order.
Reduced costs: Concrete recycled can be cheaper to produce since less raw materials and transportation costs are required.

What about cement and aggregates?

RCA isn’t just made up of cement; it also includes commonly used aggregates such as sand, gravel, and crushed stones. And since the recipe for concrete is cement + aggregates + water, RCA is a sustainable way to commit to the circular economy during the production of concrete. However, just like the aggregates in used concrete, the waste cement paste from demolished concrete can also be used to produce recycled cement. Cement paste can be blended with recycled aggregates in the production of new, but recycled concrete.

Many companies, like our parent company Cemex, are pushing for the adoption of a circular economy in construction. For example, Regenera, a business specialized in providing circularity solutions to extend the life cycle of products and materials by reusing them into value-added products, turns CDEW waste and waste byproducts from industrial processes into alternative raw materials. This solution not only helps reduce waste in the first place, but it also boasts benefits such as the preservation of natural resources and a reduced CO2 footprint.

Cemex Ventures and recycled concrete

Cemex Ventures is looking for solutions that make construction greener. In fact, one of the startups we’re spotlighting is Arqlite, a startup in our investment portfolio that’s making great strides in creating a more sustainable concrete.

Arqlite

Arqlite is a recycling technology company developing new high-efficiency building materials for heavy industries, made 100% from plastic waste. Their flagship product is artificial gravel produced 100% from recycled plastics that’s 10x better at insulating and 3x lighter than mineral gravel to produce low-carbon concrete. Arqlite’s recycling system can process otherwise non-recyclable plastics, providing an eco-friendly solution at a competitive price compared to traditional landfill fees.

In addition to concrete recycling solutions, we’re looking for startups with circular business models related to CDE waste & recycling, alternative fuels & new energy sources, sustainable materials, sustainable products libraries & LCA, water conservation, and environmental damage mitigation.

Apply to the Construction Startup Competition under the Green Construction category and start reaping the benefits today!

Deep Dive: StructShare x Cemex Ventures

Francisco Javier Osete — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 10:54:28 +0000

Innovation isn’t linear, nor is it subject to limitations. Real innovation is derived from iterative processes that require constant user feedback and constant improvement. In fact, what defines innovation is its ability to go beyond existing limits. The iterative mechanisms behind the most profound innovations of the last decade have resulted in popular digital platforms like Airbnb, Uber Eats, Netflix…

And StructShare. In the last 20 years, we’ve witnessed the proliferation of different software seeking to improve the management and efficiency of the construction industry’s supply chains. The latest gamechanger at the forefront of our industry is StructShare, whose procurement SaaS makes materials management more intelligent, communication frictionless, and data access seamless for a more connected supply chain.

By means of its Corporate Venture Capital and open innovation unit, Cemex Ventures, Cemex is investing in this startup taking the industry by storm! Read more to learn about StructShare and how our investment has far reaching impact in the construction supply chain.

Let’s take a deeper dive!

Why – are we investing in StructShare?

Cemex Ventures takes a global and exhaustive view of all the up-and-coming startups improving the different stages within the construction supply chain, one of its four market-driven opportunity areas. Within the complex supply chain ecosystem, we also breakdown different point solutions according to Cemex’s key stakeholders: builders, suppliers, logistics providers, and other users (owners, designers, traders, etc.). With our general contractor and specialty contractor stakeholders, we’ve identified the potential for progress within the area of digital procurement, which StructShare is solving.

Put simply: Cemex is partnering with StructShare to improve intelligent building materials management, communication, and the flow of data with their scalable solution that saves time and costs, improves productivity, reduces human errors, and manages project costs. This is because StructShare helps builders manage the procurement process for all materials, from the BOM (bill of materials) to payment.

What – is this investment about?

Cemex’s customers are always at the core of our ventures. We aim to connect the most valuable technologies with Cemex’s core business and customers in order to fulfill our promise of fostering the construction industry revolution. This investment is about providing a superior customer experience enabled by digital technologies to contractors and suppliers operating in the construction value chain.

We are prioritizing investments that contribute to Cemex’s Digital Innovation in Motion ecosystem. And our alliance with StructShare attempts to further digitize the industry while prioritizing investment in and support of new technologies that improve the timeliness and efficiency of different activities within the construction supply chain.

But let’s dive just a little bit deeper…

How – will StructShare and Cemex help each other achieve their objectives?

This partnership seeks to help StructShare to expand its geographical scope with Cemex’s advanced R&D departments and global presence and network, as well as through Cemex Ventures’ proven growth strategies and team of specialized investors. Most importantly, Cemex will help the startup carry out its vision to become a construction materials operating system with advanced data and supplier integration.

In 2017, Cemex kickstarted the digital transformation of the building materials industry with the launch of its leading end-to-end multichannel platform, Cemex Go. And through our investment in StructShare, we are accelerating its evolution. In the short term, we are confident that StructShare can act as the bridge for Cemex Go to connect all platforms together for a seamless contractor procurement workflow, essentially streamlining the two tools into one easy to use location. More than 50,000 Cemex customers are using Cemex Go, representing 93% of cement and 85% of ready-mix concrete customers. However, we’re dedicated to improving Cemex’s digital services by expanding this offering to other trades in one easy to use platform integrated with other commonly used industry software.

By prioritizing digital solutions, Cemex is also contributing to its sustainability strategies. Digitalization facilitates a better organization of supply chains, the transition to a paperless industry, and an increase overall in efficiency.

Who – is StructShare?

The early-stage digital procurement software company first made it onto Cemex Ventures’ radar when they applied to the Construction Startup Competition in 2021. As the startup kept advancing, they were featured in our TOP 50 Contech Startups list of 2021 under the Construction Supply Chain vertical. And now, in early 2023, we’re making our interest in StructShare official through this investment. It just goes to show that a lot can happen in two years…

Collaboration is a fundamental component in the revolution of the construction industry and StructShare’s software is integrated with some of the leading project management and accounting and financing platforms like Procore, Sage, QuickBooks, and Autodesk.

You may be wondering what makes StructShare different from its competitors…

The answer? StructShare is the only procurement digitalization company for all trades and materials with positive traction and growth. While there are other advanced procurement solutions currently on the market, they’re only focused on one type of material. The StructShare team possesses an extensive background in construction and the Contech SaaS space. Take a closer look here:

When – will the partnership begin?

Our support doesn’t end with our investment in StructShare. Cemex Ventures and Cemex will offer ongoing support by hiring the best-in-class team, network, and partners, along with connecting StructShare to its regional departments in the United States and Mexico. Moreover, Cemex Ventures will track the startup’s progress and achievement of crucial milestones in order to ensure that the three parties are all working together towards an integrated Supply Chain platform.

Where – does StructShare operate?

Originally founded in Israel, StructShare is now based in the United States in Austin, Texas. However, the startup is currently operating throughout the United States and intends to scale geographically.

Now what?

Like all our portfolio companies, we’ll keep you updated with all the news about StructShare through our digital channels: blog, social media channels, and our biweekly newsletters.

But if you’re an entrepreneur with a solution that’s answering certain pain points in the construction supply chain (materials tracking, materials marketplaces, logistics, fleet management & dispatching, last-mile deliveries, and more!), we invite you to apply to the Construction Startup Competition 2023 launching next month.

CEMEX VENTURES INVESTS IN ADVANCED MATERIALS PROCUREMENT SOLUTION

Francisco Javier Osete — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 09:12:45 +0000

MONTERREY, MEXICO AND MADRID, SPAIN. MARCH 21, 2023 – Cemex Ventures, Cemex’s open innovation and Corporate Venture Capital unit, announced today its investment in the advanced digital procurement software company StructShare.

Procurement in construction is a key process for profitability, but its management is very complex. This venture seeks to optimize and complete the materials procurement area within the construction value chain and illustrates Cemex’s continued commitment to make the purchase of building materials more agile and intuitive.

“With more than a century in the building materials industry, we aim to understand the evolving pain points of our clients in order to provide point solutions in the buyer’s journey,” said Gonzalo Galindo, Head of Cemex Ventures. “Cemex was the first company in the industry to offer a global end-to-end digital solution with CemexGo, and through this latest collaboration with StructShare we intend to provide our customers with a more advanced and unified buying experience.”

StructShare’s procurement software streamlines the purchasing and inventory of materials for different trades by connecting field, procurement and accounting teams. Cemex is partnering with StructShare to improve intelligent building materials management, communication, and the flow of data with their scalable solution that saves time, reduces human errors, and manages project costs. Currently operating in the U.S. with the intention to scale geographically, StructShare is already integrated with popular software solutions.

Cemex prioritizes solutions that contribute to its Digital Innovation in Motion ecosystem designed to achieve a superior customer experience through optimization in the areas of production, management, and commercial operations. Through this investment in StructShare, it attempts to further digitize the industry while prioritizing support of new technologies that improve the timeliness and efficiency of different activities within the construction supply chain.

DIVE DEEPER INTO OUR INVESTMENT IN STRUCTSHARE >

About StructShare

StructShare has a mission to help the people and businesses who are building the world thrive through efficient procurement and materials management. The company offers an end-to-end procurement solution purposely built for specialty contractors which connects the field, office, and supplier in a single platform that streamlines operations, prevents errors, and provides full control of spend and inventory. Today, the company employs 23 team members across its headquarters in Austin, Texas, and its R&D center in Tel Aviv, Israel. For more information, please visit http://www.structshare.com/

About Cemex Ventures

Launched in 2017, Cemex Ventures focuses on helping to solve the main challenges and capitalize on the opportunity areas in the construction ecosystem through sustainable solutions. Cemex Ventures has created an open and collaborative platform to lead the revolution of the construction industry by engaging startups, entrepreneurs, universities, and other relevant actors to tackle the industry’s toughest challenges and shape tomorrow’s value ecosystem. For more information about Cemex Ventures, please visit www.cemexventures.com

Partnership – Cemex Ventures

Startup Funding: The Basics

Types of Startup Funding

Angel Investors

Venture Capital

Corporate Venture Capital

Bootstrapping

Accelerators

Crowfunding

Seed Funding for Startups: Your First Step

How to pitch the seed round?

Construction Industry Funding: Opportunities for Startups

Cemex Ventures, Your Startup Partner

Deep Dive: OPTIMITIVE x Cemex Ventures

Table of contents

Press Release

What does OPTIMITIVE do?

Why has Cemex invested in OPTIMITIVE?

How will OPTIMITIVE and Cemex help each other achieve their objectives?

Who is OPTIMITIVE?

What’s next?

Deep Dive: Terra CO2 x Cemex Ventures

Table of contents

What does Terra CO2 do?

Why is Cemex committing investment to Terra CO2?

How will Terra CO2 and Cemex help each other achieve their objectives?

Who is Terra CO2?

What’s next?

Press Release

Deep Dive: HiiROC x Cemex Ventures

Update: Cemex kickstarts first-of-a-kind low-carbon hydrogen project in the cement industry with HiiROC

What – does HiiROC do?

Why – has Cemex increased its stake in HiiROC?

How – will HiiROC and Cemex help each other achieve their objectives?

Who – is HiiROC?

Contact us!

Press release

Meet Construction Startup Competition 2024 Winners

Table of contents

The Winners

Pitch Day 2024

What is Pitch Day?

Coming up

Press Release

Deep Dive: KC8 x Cemex Ventures

Table of contents

What – does KC8 do?

Why – invest in KC8?

How – will KC8 and Cemex help each other achieve their objectives?

Who – is KC8?

What’s next?

Press release

Deep Dive: Vizcab x Cemex Ventures

What – does Vizcab do?

Why – invest in Vizcab?

How – will Vizcab and Cemex help each other achieve their objectives?

Who – is Vizcab?

Contact us!

Press release

Recycled concrete, the eco-friendly solution for construction

Table of Contents

Can concrete be recycled?

How concrete is recycled

The benefits of recycling concrete

What about cement and aggregates?

Cemex Ventures and recycled concrete

Arqlite

Deep Dive: StructShare x Cemex Ventures

Deep Dive: StructShare x Cemex Ventures

Why – are we investing in StructShare?

What – is this investment about?

How – will StructShare and Cemex help each other achieve their objectives?

Who – is StructShare?

When – will the partnership begin?

Where – does StructShare operate?

Now what?

CEMEX VENTURES INVESTS IN ADVANCED MATERIALS PROCUREMENT SOLUTION